Monthly Archives: July 2011

More on Taxes and Spending

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 30th July 2011

Tweet In an earlier post I presented data on income tax revenues before and after the Bush tax cuts. These revenues rose after the tax cuts and then fell with the severe economic downturn of 2008. Below is a more recent graph that shows both government revenues and spending. They seem to show that the greater spending…

Educational Thought of the Day – E Coli in Germany

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 20th July 2011

Tweet Thirty one people in Europe recently died from contamination of bean sprouts by E coli, many more were sickened. The sprouts were grown on an organic farm in Bienenbüttel south of Hamburg in Germany. The strain that causes problems is E. coli O157:H7. This variant of the bacteria produces a toxin that causes the hemolytic-uremic syndrome a…

Cornell MacNeil 1922 – 2011

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 18th July 2011

Tweet The great American baritone Cornell MacNeil died July 15. MacNeil was part of a grand succession of great American baritones that included Lawrence Tibbett, Leonard Warren, Robert Merrill, MacNeil, Sherill Milnes, and Thomas Hampson. By contrast, there has been only one great American tenor who reached a comparable level of excellence as these baritones…

Why This is Such a Great Country.

Second Law of Thermodynamics Held Unconstitutional

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 4th July 2011

Tweet A deeply divided Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, held the Second Law of Thermodynamics to be unconstitutional. In a decision released Monday the 4th of July, the first time the court has ever met on the nation’s birthday, the court ruled that the law violated the due process section of the 5th amendment. The case (ACLU v….

Educational Thought of the Day – Farm Income and Dept of Agriculture

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 3rd July 2011

Tweet US farm income in 2011 is estimated by the Department of Agriculture at $94.7 billion. The Department’s 2012 budget is 145 billion. For a comment on this wonderful achievement in the Wall Street Journal go here. Interestingly the commentator underestimates the Department’s budget. No further comment, at least by me, is needed.

About Neil Kurtzman

Neil A Kurtzman MD is the Grover E Murray Professor Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. He has combined careers in clinical medicine, education, basic research, and administration for more than 30 years.